How To Get Rid of Postpartum Gas and Bloat

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Postpartum mamas often experience gas and bloat and want to get rid of it fast. Well, you can get rid of gas and bloat with just a few steps, which will help your tummy calm down after the baby. Postpartum gas and bloating are no fun to talk about, but it feels so much better when it is gone. And, healthy food, or cleaning up your diet isn’t always the answer! Postpartum gas and bloat can be the result of many things that are difficult to control.

First, let’s talk about some major causes of postpartum gas and bloat, then we will get into how to get rid of the gas and bloating:

Gas and bloating happen when hormones and gut bacteria are out of wack. This is the nuts and bolts to what is going on when you have a descended belly and excess flatulence. Hormonal fluctuations are one of the major causes of bloating and gas because the changes in hormones cause your digestive speed to change and adjust. As hormones adjust from pregnancy to breastfeeding or postpartum, your digestive system has to change speed and adjust as well. In this adjustment period, you can experience more gas and bloat.

Giving birth can also have effects on your bowel movements (hello pain!) right after having a baby. Gaining control of your pelvic floor again takes time and therapy, which means that it is more difficult to control any gas. This may seem like you have more gas than usual when in actuality you just can’t control it as well after giving birth. I have an ab rehab and pelvic floor restore program that really helps with this. As a Pre/Postnatal Fitness Specialist, and a mommy of three boys close together, I KNOW how important it is to keep up with healing your pelvic floor and core. If you don’t, greater ab separation and umbilical hernias (like mine!) can come up.

A new breastfeeding diet, or eating different foods to lose weight can cause gas and bloat as well. If you’ve started eating healthier now that you aren’t pregnant, then your body needs to adjust to these new eating habits again. Especially if you spent most of your pregnancy eating less-than-healthy foods. Adding in more fruits and veggies means more fiber, which if your body isn’t ready for it, lots of gas and bloating.

Stress with a new baby and giving birth affects gut health. Stress can affect the growth of good bacteria in your gut. A less-than-healthy diet during pregnancy can also promote the growth of bad bacteria in your gut. With bacteria levels off, you will definitely experience some gas and bloating. Stress is difficult to manage postpartum, obviously with a new baby, but you can decrease stress by taking walks, listening to music, reading books, and finding other ways to stay calm with the baby. Babywearing is a great way to get things done while also soothing the baby, and getting anything crossed off the list means less stress.

Constipation after birth causes short-term gas and bloating. Yes, constipation is an issue after birth usually due to pain medications. These just slow things down and make it difficult to have a bowel movement. This will pass, and drinking lots of water usually helps things get moving again as you get off the pain medications and start using the bathroom regularly.

Let’s talk about how you can get rid of gas and bloating postpartum:

There are a few things you can do to get rid of gas and bloating postpartum, and in my opinion, the most important step is healing your gut bacteria balance. This is going to help you in the short term and long term.

The good bacteria are known to get through to the baby while breastfeeding, which will help you both stay healthier and avoid illness. The easiest way to do this is by taking a good probiotic. This is a good one, and I added a special probiotic/digestive blend in my protein powder, Milk Dust, that is coming in Spring 2019. I did this to help postpartum mamas with digestion issues, as well as increase nutrient absorption. Nutrients during breastfeeding are a hot topic in my program, The Postpartum Cure, which teaches mamas to lose weight while breastfeeding through nutrition. Probiotics are all over grocery stores and the internet, so it can be a bit overwhelming to purchase a probiotic, which is why I just added it to my protein powder.

I am SO EXCITED to share that I am launching Milk Dust, the only protein powder that pumps up your milk supply with a special lactation blend, while also curbing sugar cravings!! There are no other clean, super nutrient-dense protein powders like this, and I would love for you to sign up for the pre-sale lists, where I am offering the first batch at a discount!!

You also want to take some digestive enzymes during your bouts of bloat and gas, and consistently if you need too. I’ve found that I need digestive enzymes through hormonal changes during the month, but not every day. Depending on your gut health, you may need them with high-fiber meals, or your could need them daily. But, I can tell you they make a great difference! I prefer these digestive enzymes, which I take a couple before each meal. The lack of bloating or gas feels amazing! It is totally worth it.

I also just ordered collagen, to throw in my morning coffee. It has amazing skin benefits, and also gut benefits. I am trying the Vital Proteins, which I decided looked like the best quality for the price. I will report back as I take it for a while and see results.

Aside from taking more care of your gut, you can reduce your fiber intake, and replace it with protein. Protein is a great, healthy option when you are feeling gassy and bloated, but still want to eat healthy. Eliminating any foods you may be sensitive to is a more obvious step to getting rid of gas and bloating. Sometimes small food sensitivities can develop when we are under stress, so it could be possible that inflammation is developing from a food that is normally minimal, but now with hormonal surges and stress, is exacerbated. This means to try eliminating the common foods like dairy or gluten to see if it helps.

On the other end, you may need to clean up your diet and add more fiber. Eating unhealthy foods that are heavy with processing, sugar and fat can be super hard on your digestive system as well. It can also cause constipation, which makes more bloating. Water and fruits are a quick way to overcome this without having to take anything over the counter.

Getting rid of postpartum gas and bloat is totally possible, you just have to know your body, and the steps to take to ensure you are taking good care of your body.